hey all.  I am indeed still playing quite a bit of Scrabble.  There has definitely been less interesting to write about since moving to Asheville.  Most of the interesting positions that I run into at my current club, don't really have much consequence because they rarely have any say over the outcome of any given game.  At one point I had a 32 game streak of 31-1-1.  Which is fine.  I still love to play, but it makes for not a ton of blog-worthy material.  Actually if anything it has made me a little sloppier especially with convincing myself to play words I am not 100% on.  Anyway, this was a fun game from club against probably the best regular player we have.  (skip to the second link (or turn 13) if you want a fun board vision quiz).

http://www.cross-tables.com/annotated.php?u=3962#0

This position is why this game is so much fun:

http://www.cross-tables.com/annotated.php?u=3962#13


My garden however is very blog-worthy, but I need to get a working camera before I can show that off.

All is very, very well.


PS - Katy is pregnant and due in January to all of my non Facebook friends.  More to come on that at a future date.  Right now the two names we have that are sticking are Idris (pronounces E-driss) for a boy and Isabelle or Isabella (with the nickname of Isa - pronounced E-sa) for a girl.

Tags: hello, quiz
Current Location: home
Current Mood: achy

Hola all!

It has been a long time since the last time I posted on LJ and a whole lot has happened in the meantime.

( a cut to save all those out there who really don't care. )

So in all, after a long rough spot, things are looking up again.  While we won't be out of our rut for a little while, the promise of steady income is a huge weight lifted and allows us to plan for the future.

To those who have been in contact, and I haven't been very responsive (I'm looking at you Erica) I really apologize.  I will try to be more in the loop in the near future now that life seems a little less bumpy.

Tags: life, moving
Current Location: home
Current Mood: coffee
Current Music: Playhouse Disney

My best friend has recently submitted a shortfilm to the Sundance Film Festival's Project Direct.  This is for aspiring directors.  His film was chosen as one of the top 10 submissions out of hundreds, and now there is a voting period to determine the winner.  If you have some time tonight, please go to

www.perfectofilm.com

There are instructions there for what to do.  If he gets voted the most, then he will have a screening at Sundance and get his work distributed to industry type folks.

The name of the film is Perfecto!    Tonight is the last night to vote so if you are able to help ASAP, then I am in your debt.

It is quite awesome and my friend is also quite awesome, so please help him out. 

Thanks.

Tags: perfecto!
Current Location: internet
Current Mood: bouncy

Split games with Kate at lunch today. 

The first game I bingo three times in 5 turns (easy stuff like VIOLATER, TRUDGES, and LITOTES), to be up a gob.  Then I draw my first blank and completely give the game away.  I did everything within my power to lose it.  Opened up multiple scoring spots on a closed board, missed bingoes, mistracked, went way low on time.  It was ugly ugly ugly.

The second game, I won pretty handily, as I was drawing balance and synergy and she had ugly racks with hard choices.  I played well, I guess, but it wasn't the biggest triumph in the world.


So anyway, none of this is interesting, so I will give you one of my racks.

ACEILL?

If you find them all I will give you a lollypop.  I didn't find one of them (this was in our first game).  I know a handful of them, but they are all weird and pretty low prob (the lowest being 9169).


I am leaving work presently to go home and finish packing our truck in -million degree weather.  Tomorrow, it's work, and then leaving straight to drive to NC in the snow and infinite cold.  Come Wednesday I will be a North Carolina resident.

Tags: games, move, racks, violater
Current Location: illinois for now
Current Mood: excited

So I did my tourney rundown, but I figured I would do the highlights as well:

WORST:

- My worst tourney ever  -  an open run by Jeremy in which I completely tanked.  This included a descending series of losses to people rated 1758, 1623, 1352, 1075, and 941.  ugh.
- and actually not much more


BEST:

- Michigan Madness - On top of the win, I got to hangout with a lot of very cool people who I never get to see including ipecac_icecap , tailskid , and hector31 .  I won money in 3 ways at this tourney.  $300 for 1st, High Word (DURATIVE), and $5 in the roto. 
- Nationals - 17th place finish, and a chance to hang out with some truly great people.  I had quite possibly the coolest house:  xpmorgan , etheridge2 , picopaco , tatermunch , axolotl8 , esdscrabble , and sophonax .   Hung out with others as well, but too many to name.  Hopefully Dayton will happen and a similar living situation will present itself.
- CUSS WORDS - this went as smoothly as anyone could hope.  Everyone seemed to have a good time, the prizes were good, the food was good, and the QURSH prize system worked great.  Could have played better I guess.  Dinner afterward was nice, but I was too exhausted to stick around.  Though it wasn't rated and technically doesn't count, I will count this as a huge success for the year.
- Vacation - in Seattle/Port Angeles.  Beautiful country and got to meet a part of Katy's family that we never get to see.
- Moving - hasn't happened yet, but I don't anticipate any big hang-ups.  A lot of friends have shown some great kindnesses in my last little bit here.  5 more days!  Wish I had a job.

damn, I left out the Arden in my original post. 
- Arden Cup - meh.  as far as 10-10's go this was pretty satisfying.  Plus I got to hang out with some of my favorite people.  One of these days I'll match the success I had at my first Arden.  Although, next year it looks like I will qualify for Div 1.  Gotta start bringing my uber-A game.


Come 2009 my life will be completely different.  We shall see what presents itself. 

It's been a pretty good year, but here's to 2009.

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Tags: 2008, meme-ish, nostalgia
Current Location: work
Current Mood: cheerful

let me just go on the record saying that Jeremy Cahnmann (etheridge2 ) is one of the more thoughtful people I have met in my short tenure in our fair city.

I just wanted to publicly say, "Thank you Jeremy for being a good friend."



That is all.

I don't play very many tournaments, so this should be pretty short.


Chicago IL - 03/22/08
5-9 +253 (18 of 24 - Div.1)
1504 -> 1428

Started as 12th seed, and finished 18th. Of all of my career tournaments, this was definitely the one I tanked. I couldn't do anything at this tournament, which is no good for an open. People I should have been beating, were slipping by, and people who I should have split games with were trouncing me. And all I could do was watch it happen. ugh. Just thinking about it gives me a sour feeling.


Chicago IL - 05/24/08
10-10 +28 (14th of 32 - Div. 2)
1428 -> 1477

Started as 23rd seed, finished 14th.  Best even tourney finish ever.  I start out 1-7, and finish 9-3.  By the end my brain was firing on all cylinders.  My last game was a huge cathartic trouncing.  After a rough start, I'll take it.


Hazel Park, MI - 06/28/08
11-3 +1054 (1st of 34 - Div. 2)
1477 -> 1535

Started as 5th seed, and finished 1st. My first multi-day win! This one came down to the final game against Dave Turissini.  I didn't need to win, I just needed to keep from losing by 132.  I lost by 120! You can see the write up here. I am still winless against porosus  in tournament play, but this time I got the big win so I guess that's okay.


National Scrabble Championship - 07/26/08
17-11 +783  (17th of 134 - Div. 2)
1535 -> 1697

Started 92nd, and finished 17th.   My first day was terrible.  I was 2-5, going into Day 2, but it felt like 0-7.  Then I went 13-2 including a lossless Day 3.  Then I got up to the big boy tables and proceeded to flounder again.  I opened Day 4 with a mind-numbing loss at table 1 to bbstenniz  who ran away with things.  Then went 3-Fiszbein, losing to Papa Fiszbein twice and Alex once.  My last game was probably my second most fun game of the tournament with a runner-gunner loss to Papa Fiszbein.  I can only be happy with this tourney as I met every once of my goals.  Top 25 (top 20 hopeful) and 1600+ (1700 hopeful). 


So I was 43-33 +2318.  My rating went from 1504 to a low of 1428 and up to a current 1697.  Can't complain for 4 tournaments.

My next tourney will be the East Coast Championship in February.  To all of those attending, my birthday is the 12th of February, so a really nice present would be a win against you.  Feel free to throw our game, my ego won't be bruised I promise.

I already have confirmed guests at my parents' house of Kate F-C and TomErica.  My mom said the more the merrier.    Should be an interesting start to 2009.


Goals for next year:

-go to more than 6 tournaments
    -Arden
    -Dayton
    -BAT
-go to Albany NYE
-break 1700
-other things as well

Tags: meme, year in review
Current Mood: aggravated

the closest is 6 vs. Niko Tomlinson and I am 6-0.

I've only played 23 tournaments, so I guess this is not surprising.

That is all.

Tags: meme?
Current Mood: amused

One of the items on my 101 things in a 1001 days was to drink at least 300 beers. So, needless to say, I've had to both branch out a lot, look hard, and be willing to drop some cash on something rare or interesting looking. Here are some of my faves so far:

-Crooked Tree IPA (dark horse)
-Maharaja Imperial IPA (Avery) this one is my absolute favourite
-Jav-ah coffee stout (?)
-Boont Amber (Anderson Valley)
-pretty much everything from Anderson Valley
-Gumball Head (Three Floyds)
-Orval (sp?) - my favourite Belgian.
-La Fin Du Monde

mainstream stuff:
-Sierra Nevada (sorry XP, but your wrong about this one)
-Guinness
-High Life (guilty pleasure)
-Wolaver's (not too many organic choices)
-most of Bell's beers

Tags: beer, meme
Current Music: Ismael Rivera

check out 2:09 in this video:

Tags: flaming volostoraptor
Current Mood: cheerful